This is a pretty accurate table of contents, give or take a sub-heading or two. Each hour also has a summary, quiz questions, and one or more activities.

PART I: INTRODUCTION TO MYSQL AND RELATIONAL DATABASES

Hour 1: Introducing MySQL

• What Is a Relational Database?
• What Is MySQL?
• Main Features of MySQL
• MySQL Distributions
• MySQL Licensing and Support
• Communicating with MySQL
  • PHP
  • Perl
  • ODBC
  • Additional Languages

Hour 2: Understanding Database Terminology

• Basic Elements Explained
  • Understanding Tables
  • Understanding Fields
  • Understanding Records
  • Understanding Indexes

Hour 3: Learning the Database Design Process

• Types of Table Relationships
  • One-to-One Relationships
  • One-to-Many Relationships
  • Many-to-Many Relationships
• Understanding Normalization
  • Problems with the Flat Table
  • First Normal Form
  • Second Normal Form
  • Third Normal Form
• Following the Design Process

PART II: SETTING UP YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Hour 4: Using the MySQL Client

• Working with the MySQL Command-Line Interface
  • Starting the MySQL Monitor in Windows
  • Starting the MySQL Monitor on Linux/UNIX
  • Issuing Commands
• Working with the MySQL Administration Tools
  • Using mysqladmin
  • Using mysqldump
• Other Interfaces to MySQL
  • phpMyAdmin
  • MySQL-Front
  • MySQLManager

Hour 5: Securing MySQL

• Basic Security Guidelines
  • Starting MySQL
  • Securing Your MySQL Connection
• Introducing the MySQL Privilege System
  • The Two-Step Authentication Process
• Working with User Privileges
  • Adding Users
  • Removing Privileges

PART III: LEARNING TO PLAN FOR YOUR DATABASE-DRIVEN APPLICATIONS

Hour 6: Planning and Creating Your Database

• Determine Your Goals
• Conceptualize the Tables
  • Determining Relationships
• Creating the Database
  • Define the User Privileges

Hour 7: Creating Your Database Tables - Part I

• Learning the MySQL Data Types
  • Numeric Data Types
  • Date and Time Types
  • String Types
• Learning the Table Creation Syntax
  • Naming Your Fields
  • Preliminary Table Creation Statements

Hour 8: Creating Your Database Tables - Part II

• Identifying Keys in Your Tables
  • Primary Keys
  • Unique Keys
• Adding Indexes to Your Tables
• When to Use, or Not to Use, Keys and Indexes
• Issuing Your Table Creation Statements
  • Creating Tables in the MySQL Monitor
  • Using SQL Commands from External Files

PART IV: WORKING WITH YOUR TABLES

Hour 9: Populating Your Database Tables

• Using the INSERT Command
  • A Closer Look at INSERT
  • Using Function Results in INSERT Statements
• Importing Data from Other Databases
  • Preparing Data for Import
  • Using Data from a Flat File
  • Using Data from Microsoft Access
  • Using mysqlimport
  • Using the LOAD DATA INFILE Command

Hour 10: Selecting Data from Your Tables

• Using the SELECT Command
  • Ordering SELECT Results
  • Limiting Your Results
  • Using Some Aggregate Functions with SELECT
• Using WHERE in Your Queries
• Using Operators in WHERE Clauses
• String Comparison Using LIKE

Hour 11: Advanced Usage of SELECT Statements

• Using the GROUP BY Clause
• Using SELECT Within INSERT Statements
• Selecting from Multiple Tables
  • Using JOIN

Hour 12: Modifying and Deleting Data

• Using the UPDATE Command to Modify Records
  • Conditional UPDATEs
  • Using Existing Column Values with UPDATE
  • Using Functions in UPDATE Statements
• Using the REPLACE Command
• Using the DELETE Command
  • Optimizing DELETE Queries
  • Conditional DELETE

Hour 13: More About DELETE

• Deleting Related Records
• Listing Tables and Databases Before Deleting Them
  • Using mysqlshow
  • Using the SHOW Command
• Using the DROP Command
  • DROP TABLE
  • DROP DATABASE

Hour 14: Modifying Table Structure

• Using DESCRIBE to View Table Structure
• Using the ALTER Command
  • Adding Fields, Indexes, and Keys
  • Deleting Fields, Indexes, and Keys

PART V: USING BUILT-IN FUNCTIONS IN MYSQL QUERIES

Hour 15: Using MySQL String Functions

• Frequently Used String Functions
  • Length and Concatenation Functions
  • Trimming and Padding Functions
  • Location and Position Functions
  • Substring Functions
  • String Modification Functions
• Obscure String Functions

Hour 16: Using MySQL Numeric Functions

• Using Numeric Functions in Queries
  • Basic Arithmetic Operations
  • Mathematical Functions
  • Trigonometric Functions
  • Rounding Functions

Hour 17: Using MySQL Date and Time Functions

• Using Date and Time Functions in Queries
  Working with Days
  • Working with Months and Years
  • Working with Weeks
  • Working with Hours, Minutes, and Seconds
• Formatting Dates and Times
• Performing Date Arithmetic
• Special Functions and Conversion Features

PART VI: USING TRANSACTIONS

Hour 18: Transactions Overview

• What Are Transactions?
  • Properties of Transactions
  • COMMIT and ROLLBACK
  • Row-Level Locking
• Transaction-Safe Table Types in MySQL
  • BerkeleyDB
  • InnoDB
  • Gemini

Hour 19: Practical Transaction Usage

• Converting Tables to Transaction-Safe Table Types
• Using Transactions in Your Applications
  • When to Use Transaction-Safe Tables
  • Modifying the contactDB Schema
  • Programming Transactions in the Contact Management System

PART VII: ADMINISTERING YOUR MYSQL SERVER

Hour 20: Optimizing and Tuning Your Database

• Building an Optimized Platform
  • Using the benchmark() Function
• MySQL Startup Options
  • Key Startup Parameters
• Optimizing Your Table Structure
• Optimizing Your Queries

Hour 21: Backing Up and Restoring Your Database

• Database Backup Overview
• Using mysqlhotcopy
• Using the BACKUP TABLE and RESTORE TABLE Commands
• Using myisamchk

Hour 22: Basic Administrative Commands

• Using the FLUSH Command
• Using the SHOW Command
  • Retrieving Information about Databases and Tables
  • Retrieving Table Structure Information
  • Retrieving System Status

PART VIII: INTERFACING WITH MYSQL

Hour 23: Using MySQL with Perl

• Getting Access to Perl
  • Accessing the Perl DBI and MySQL DBD
  • Quick Perl Test
• Connecting to MySQL with Perl
  • Making the Initial Connection
• Executing Queries
• Working with MySQL Data
  • Inserting Data with Perl
  • Retrieving Data with Perl

Hour 24: Using MySQL with PHP

• Getting Access to PHP
• How PHP Works
  • Variables and Types in PHP
  • Operators in PHP
  • Control Structures in PHP
• Connecting to MySQL with PHP
  • Using mysql_connect()
  • Executing Queries
  • Retrieving Error Messages
• Working with MySQL Data
  • Inserting Data with PHP
  • Retrieving Data with PHP

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Installing MySQL

• How to Get MySQL
• Installing MySQL 3.23 or 4.0 on Windows
• Installing MySQL 3.23 or 4.0 on Linux/UNIX
• Troubleshooting Your Installation

Appendix B: Using MyODBC

• Installing MyODBC on Windows
• MyODBC Configuration
• Importing/Exporting Data with MySQL and Microsoft Access
  • Exporting from Microsoft Access to MySQL
  • Importing into Microsoft Access from MySQL

Appendix C: Reserved Words

Appendix D: Practical MySQL/PHP Examples

• Creating Access Logs and Reports
  • The Basic Hit Counter
  • Souped-up Hit Counter and Report
• Creating an Online Poll
• Storing Uploaded Files in Your Database
  • Retrieving Images Files from Your Database